Witness Protection
by SenatorSolo
Summary: A short story about the final battle and what leads to it, and what leads from it. "A witness protection program will be instated at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."


Author Note: I felt like a needed a little break from my other story, Ace of Hearts, so I decided to begin this little one-shot. Though I suppose, if you want it to be more than a one-shot, you can always ask and I'll see what I can do. Also, if you read this, please review. . . it won't put me in the mood for going back to school, but maybe it'll raise my school-starts-in-three-days depression! Anyways, on to the story, go on, read it!

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Witness Protection

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Harry Potter looked at all the wreckage around him. Dead bodies of friends and loved ones, dead bodies of Death Eaters, the enemy, and dead bodies of innocent bystanders, and muggles. As he took in the death and destruction and stared down the one he hated most, he thought of what this person did: This person took away his family, his parents, he took away his mentor and beloved teacher, Dumbledore, and he took away the closest thing he had to a father and brother, Sirius. The smiling faces of these people burst into Harry's mind as Harry said the two words that were death, "Avada Kedavra." And in what seemed like centuries, the pale body of Tom Riddle crumpled and hit the floor with a thud. Before Harry could look away, the masks of Voldemort and the Death Eaters at once cracked and burned bright green, before disintegrating and causing all of Tom's followers to find their master in death.

It was finished.

Harry Potter gave a slight nod to Ronald Weasley, a long time friend, before apparating to Diagon Alley to share the news with Hogwarts. "At last the deed I was born to fulfill is complete. Lord Voldemort, or Tom Riddle as he was once named is finished. However, there have been casualties . . " And at that point everyone stared as the great boy-who-lived broke down and cried.

_But before all this occurred . . . _

"A witness protection program will be instated at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for those who have the unpleasant task of being relatives of those who call themselves Death Eaters. Each student will be paired with one other as a close relative or some kind of love relation, given a new name, and also given a new physical appearance," read the tall man to the students in the great hall. "If the following will go with my associate, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Hermione Granger, Ernie Macmillan, and Ginny Weasley. I would like to dismiss the rest of you except, Vincent Crabbe, Draco Malfoy, Sarah Oorney, Pansy Parkinson, Allan Weickmann, and Blaise Zabini. Just remain seated. Thank you." This man, nobody quite knew who he was, handed each relative of a Death Eaters a small survey to fill out. The students in the other room were getting this also. "Just a small survey so we can place you with the student who is best fit to your personality."

_Several hours later, for the survey was a long on in memory of Lockhart . . . _

"When your name is called, please stand aside with your partner, a magical technician will be along shortly to help you. Now, if you please. Vincent Crabbe, you will become Spencer Boot, cousin of Terry Boot. Draco Malfoy, you will become Luke Gonzales, best friend and lover of Ginny Weasley. Sarah Oorney, you will become Daisy Granger, younger sister to Hermione Granger. Pansy Parkinson, you will be Ophelia Walters, lover of Ernie Macmillan. Allan Weickmann, you will become Damien Abbott, older brother of Hannah Abbott. And finally, Blaise Zabini, you will become John Dill, best friend of Susan Bones."

Now, quite frankly, Ginny Weasley was not ecstatic about becoming the lover of Draco Malfoy alias Luke Gonzales. He wasn't too excited either, but it was better that becoming fish bait for Lucius Malfoy, one thousand times better. Standing alone, Ginny and Draco, ahem, Luke, dis not speak until the magical technician reached them.

"Hi, my name is Jayme Joyce, and I'll basically be the person who gets you through this at the beginning. I'll be your support and your backbone." Luke was unimpressed. Ginny thought she sounded fake. "Now," continued Jayme, "you two are best friends and lovers. So you'd better start acting like it." The children stared. "Well, then. I'll help you myself. Luke, put your arm around Ginny's waist. Waist, not back! Where are we, the Middle Ages? Good. And Ginny, lean into him, like you really dig the warmth of his body." Ginny couldn't restrain a snort, which earned her a disapproving look. "Now we practice," said Jayme.

_Four hours and a temper tantrum later . . . _

A dark skinned teen exited a side room off the great hall with a pale, freckled girl. Draco Malfoy had finished his transformation into Luke Gonzales, though he still retained his old memories, His appearance, however, changed completely. He looked very Spanish, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark complexion. He spoke with a slight accent, thanks to a voice altering spell. His nose crinkled when he smiled, which he did often, and there was a slight dimple on his chin. He was quite the opposite of the girl walking next to him. Jayme Joyce had finally succeeded in getting the students to open up to each other and now Luke and Ginny were getting along quite comfortably, perhaps a little too comfortably. Though they were 'lovers.'

_On the other hand . . . _

Hermione Granger was not quite lucky enough to get a new lover, though she did receive the gift of any only child's dreams, a younger sibling. Sarah, now Daisy was only two years younger than Hermione herself, fifteen compared to Hermione's seventeen, so they had a very easy time adjusting to each others company and chatting or gossiping away like old friends. They now resembled each other, as sisters often do, but there was one problem. Though some real siblings had amazing relationships with very little fighting, there was no such thing as a relationship with no fighting. No matter how hard the technician tried to fuel an argument, there was just nothing to be fueled. No argument to even start. So, of course, being the resourceful technician that he was, he created an argument potion, taken as one would a vitamin, to cause minor fights occasionally, the kind that sisters usually have. Now the only thing left to do was mention if to Hermione's parents.

_Now for a 'why' . . . _

The reason why these two couples are written about, but none of the other four, is that Harry Potter cares deeply for a member of each of the pairs. If you were to suggest that these members are Luke Gonzales and Daisy Granger, the answer would be "No, are you an idiot? Have you even read the Harry Potter books?" So the wise decision is suggesting that Harry deeply cares about Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger. And I mean deeply, like he would kill for them. Which means that Luke would be in some major trouble if he ever dumped Ginny. But that's not what this story is about. This story is about the relationship growing between each set of partners and the great Harry Potter.

_Who the !$& is Luke? _

When Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger first brought their respective partners to the Gryffindor common room, they were met by a few curious glances, but only one major confrontation. Yes, the guy who suspects everyone and everything, Gryffindor's own Ronald Weasley. "Hi Ginny, hi Hermione. Who are they?" Sure. It sounds nice. But if you heard his voice, you would have heard the underlying malice and threat.

Ginny was unfazed. "This is Luke Gonzales, and that is Daisy Granger."

Ron's face swelled. "Who the !$& is Luke?"

Luke stepped up and grinned, "Me."

Ginny sniggered. "Luke is my boyfriend. We met a few years ago at the Quidditch World Cup, you remember, Ron? Where we saw Viktor Krum. Well anyways, we met there and hit it off. We've been dating ever since. He used to go to Durmstrang, but he's transferred here for his safety, and to be closer to me of course." Luke put his hands on Ginny's shoulders as Ginny leaned back against his warm chest. Then Ron blew his top.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER YOU FILTHY DURMSTRANG DEATH EATER. GINNY, YOU ALLOW HIM TO TOUCH YOU! YOU NO BETTER THAN HE IS!" Ron shouted, before turning on Hermione. "And you, did you all of a sudden go_ lesbian_?"

"First of all, Ronald. You cannot go lesbian. Not that there's anything wrong with it if you could. Second of all, Ginny said that her name is Daisy _Granger_. Honestly. Usually people who share last names are related. Daisy happens to be my sister," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

Ron gaped at Hermione as Harry dragged him out of the common room to prevent him from making even more of a fool of himself. Harry smiled over his shoulder and mouthed, "I'll talk to him."

"Don't worry, Luke," said Ginny, following him to a couch, "he's just jealous because I'm younger than him. Hermione and Daisy went upstairs to share more sisterly secrets.

_Then what? _

Harry spoke to his dear friend Ron about all sorts of things to calm him down and eventually succeeded in making Ron believe that Luke wasn't out to use Ginny or turn her into a mini-Death Eater. And finally, after this long chat the two lay in silence upon their beds, thinking things through. Ron was thinking about his younger sister and Hermione, ways to apologize to them, while Harry was thinking of Voldemort and the fight he knew was soon to come.

_And come it did . . . _

Yes, the fight known now as the Last Battle or the Great Battle came. Just three months after Ron met Daisy and Luke, they all had to go to battle. Hermione insisted that Daisy stay with her parents, while Luke and Ginny both joined in the fighting forces. As gruesome that some battles can be, this one topped them all.

Harry stood amid that jets of green and red light ducking and using all his energy to avoid fighting so that he would have the strength to fight Lord Voldemort when he finally decided to show himself. He watched as countless people, on the light and dark sides, fell to the powerful Avada Kedavra curse, him powerless to save them. He saw little Ginny and Luke fighting side by side, one maintaining a shield charm while the other tried to attack the waves of oncoming wizards. He saw Hermione deflect a curse from hitting Professor McGonagall only to fall victim to a terrible jinx that may have killed her. Harry watched it all.

He saw Luke through a particularly dirty spell at Lucius Malfoy that finished him off, and saw the chubby Neville Longbottom chucking rocks at Death Eaters to distract them from their attackers, for his wand work was never as good as anyone else. He watched the giant Hagrid die, watched his body fall gracelessly to the ground, crushing several humans under it. He saw the whole Weasley family working together with Lupin to fend off the werewolves, mostly successfully. He saw the man who called himself Voldemort rise up from the ashes of a grave. He saw the man who called himself Voldemort perish.

The last event of the Great Battle was the children of all the Death Eaters became themselves again. The dark skinned Luke became once again the pale Draco. Back at home in suburbia, little Daisy transformed back into Sarah, though was still welcomed by the Granger's. All across the graveyard, the witness protection program ended. For it was no longer needed, except in one case.

_What one case? _

Ron Weasley watched in growing anger as Luke Gonzales transformed back into Draco Malfoy and, in a fit of anger, turned his wand upon him. Ginny noticed this and ran in front of Draco to protect him, but already the green light was arching towards them, and Ginny, running in front, was the one who was hit.

_It begins again . . . _

Life went on. The whole Weasley family attended magical counseling together and eventually, Ron was forgiven, though he never recovered from the guilt. Hermione Granger lived in relative happiness with her younger sister, now fully adopted, by muggle and wizard means, but there was always an empty place in her heart for young Ginny Weasley. Draco Malfoy however, ended his life by magical means, turning the Avada Kedavra curse upon himself, wishing to feel the pain the Ginny felt at her end, and hoping to see her again after the pain of death had passed.

He got his wish.

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How did I do? Please review! 


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